Back in 2012, business executives thought the most important traits to exhibit when interacting with stakeholders included things like forcefulness, a blue-chip pedigree, and physical attractiveness. No more. A repeat of the study 10 years later found that inclusiveness, a "listen to learn" orientation, and authenticity are among the new traits for a strong executive presence. Neville and Shel discuss the evolution of executive presence and communicators' role in helping their leaders adapt in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #383: Leadership Traits Aren’t What They Used To Be appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, claims it has successfully implanted a device in the brain of a human subject who is recovering well. These devices are designed to enable severely disabled individuals to manipulate computers with their minds, moving cursors, typing, clicking, and so on. It's the stuff of science fiction, but, like AI, it seems destined to become just another fact of life. The implications for society are huge, and there are considerations for communicators. Neville and Shel speculate about the concept and what it means for business and society in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #382: Brain Implants Are a Thing Now appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It happens every year, as surely as the Tiffany ball will drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve: Edelman has released its annual Trust Barometer with a focus on the public's views on innovation and the pace of change, along with the usual dimensions of trust the survey tracks every year. Neville and Shel examine some of the study's core findings and reflect on their meaning for today's communication professionals. Also in this episode, Neville and Shel discuss a court case in the U.K. in which an employee was told she could not work remotely and had to return to the office, along with other developments in the whole remote-hybrid-return-to-the-office battle; a global advertising conglomerate did something remarkably creative with synthetic media, demonstrating some of the positives that are possible with AI-generated hyperrealistic video; and a scandal 20 years in the making has erupted in the UK thanks to a four-part docudrama. In his tech report, Dan York reports on WhatsApp's launch of voice updates, Threads' plans for integration with the fediverse; generative AI developments, and a couple of milestone anniversaries.Continue Reading → The post FIR #381: The State of Trust in 2024 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When the word came down from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that investment companies could offer Bitcoin ETFs, Vanguard shrugged off the opportunity -- but didn't make an effort to let its investors know, leading to high volumes of online criticism and some investors closing their accounts. Neville and Shel dig into the communication failure in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #380: Vanguard Leaves Investors Twisting in the Wind appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When blogs first got hot, every December, it was the rare PR agency and independent communicator that didn't feel compelled to post their predictions and assessments of trends for the new year. That practice has not slowed down. Rather than try to find and read through them all, just sit back and listen to this short mid-week episode of "For Immediate Release." Neville and Shel will summarize key 2024 trends drawn from a number of sources.Continue Reading → The post FIR #379: Top Communication Trends for 2024 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Deepfakes! Volumes of disinformation generated at scale! Hallucinated information shared as fact! Inherent bias underlying official communication! The number of crises people can imagine AI creating continues to grow. But do AI's abilities to aid in crisis communication outweigh these risks -- especially if we find ways to minimize or eliminate the risks? Crisis expert Philippe Borremans has released a study, "Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Response: Perspectives from Communication Experts," that begins to identify the multiple ways AI can do some heavy lifting during a crisis. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel look at the study results and discuss AI's potential during a crisis.Continue Reading → The post FIR #378: AI for Crisis Communications appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

While this is officially episode #377 of "For Immediate Release," the fact is that we reset the episode numbers back in 2015 when we retired the show name, "The Hobson and Holtz Report," at episode #824. Add them together, and this is actually our 1,201st episode. It also marks the beginning of our 20th year of podcasting. We released our first episode on January 3, 2005, several months before Apple introduced podcasts to iTunes, an event that is widely associated with the rise of podcasting's popularity. In this anniversary episode, we briefly recount FIR's beginnings but spend more time on podcasting's status today and where it's heading.Continue Reading → The post FIR #377: Two Decades of Podcasting appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

"We are about to see the biggest reshuffling of power on the internet in 25 years," writes Anil Dash, "in a way that most of the internet’s current users have never seen before." That power, Dash believes is a shift from big companies like Meta and Google back to individual users. Among the trends that have Dash believing this pivot is imminent are the nascent fediverse, the failure of X (formerly Twitter), court rulings that will open up alternative app stores, the rise of new networks (like Threads and Bluesky), and the rise of AI as a search alternative. What could a reshaped internet look like and how can businesses continue to take advantage of it when traditional means of customer connection become less and less effective? Neville and Shel consider the possibilities in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #376: Is the Internet Pendulum Swinging Back to Weirdness? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Volumes have been written in the last year about how to apply ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to the practice of public relations and organizational communication. In this midweek episode, we let ChatGPT speak for itself about how it can enhance communicators' work -- and whether communicators are at risk of being replaced by AI. Shel is solo in this episode, so he interviews ChatGPT to ask about its processes for press releases and other PR writing and editing, its non-media and non-writing capabilities, ethical considerations, crisis communication functionality, and much more. Hear ChatGPT in her own words articulate the best approaches professional communicators can take to optimizing their work with an AI collaborator.Continue Reading → The post FIR #375: ChatGPT Speaks for Itself About Its PR Capabilities appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

German publisher Alex Springer -- which owns Politico, among other media properties -- has inked a deal with OpenAI, which means ChatGPT will be able to include news in its responses to prompts. Debate over the pros and cons is robust, and there are implications for organizations trying to get their news into the mix. In the December long-form episode, Neville and Shel explore the ramifications and possible next steps. Also in the show: Starbucks has suffered vandalism and other blowback based on disinformation shared online. Is the iconic coffee company handling it well? The presidents of three top-tier universities gave cringeworthy testimony before a Congressional committee. Who counseled them before their appearances? Researchers worked with generative AI tools to develop a strategic plan for introducing a new service to a metropolitan community. How did it go? There will be a lot of elections across many countries in 2024. How will AI affect the outcomes? People want media organizations to disclose when they use AI in the preparation of reports. How much does that affect their trust of the content? In his tech report, Dan York dives deep into movements in the fediverse. Continue Reading → The post FIR #374: Getting Your News from AI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The speed with which media companies are announcing moves into the fediverse is accelerating, with Flipboard and Mozilla among the latest to signal their plans to support federation protocols. While most consumers are shrugging over the idea of decentralized social networks, the actual benefits will be evident once the protocols are implemented and people are able to take advantage of them. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what the fediverse is, discuss the competing protocols, and explain what it means for users and social media managers.Continue Reading → The post FIR #373: Has the Fediverse Reached a Tipping Point? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The rise of "non-credible publications" and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence have fueled a surge in disinformation attacks aimed at businesses. Knowing where to look for this potentially harmful content and how to prepare your organization to address it proactively can help your company avoid a lot of grief. Neville and Shel explore some recent research and outline recommendations for communicators in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #372: More Disinformation Targets Companies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

How much should a company's employees know about AI? Some companies are now looking for employees who can bring a range of AI skills with them for virtually any job the company has to offer. In this short midweek episode, we discuss how companies like software firm Deel and furniture site ufurnish.com are using AI tools like ChatGPT to boost efficiency. For example, they use AI to write website copy, code, and even employee performance reviews. Experts say AI adoption is accelerating, with job posts that reference AI skills doubling over two years globally. However, they caution that AI still requires human supervision, and biases in the underlying data could lead to discrimination if not managed properly. AI is starting to transform workflows, but true transformation requires rethinking processes, not just optimizing what already exists. Are employees ready? Are companies helping them get ready?Continue Reading → The post FIR #371: Employee AI Competencies appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Most organizations have remained silent about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Leaders don't see how any reference to the war is relevant to their companies' operations, purpose, or values, and they can't imagine any statement would satisfy everyone. Yet most employees want to hear from their leaders about the situation. Research found that trust in leadership rises considerably when they do speak up. But what employees want to hear from leaders, particularly their immediate managers, is not which side leaders are on. Neville and Shel discuss employees' expectations in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #370: War, Managers, and Empathy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In Paris, commercial murals on walls are permitted only without logos or product images. Oatly, the non-dairy milk company, was entering the French market and planned and out-of-home (OOH) campaign that involved wall murals. Intent upon showing their product without violating the law, the company turned to a guerilla marketing effort that has gone viral. Neville and Shel explain in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #369: Outdoor Guerilla Marketing Campaign Goes Viral appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

PRSA has released as set of guidelines to govern the use of Artificial Intelligence by public relations professionals. The association has used its Code of Ethics as a roadmap. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel explore the recommendations -- and the landscape of AI ethics guides for the PR profession.Continue Reading → The post FIR #368: AI and PR Codes of Ethics appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Individual employees can reap a clear benefit from participating in online social networks. The companies for which they work also benefit from smarter employees who can reach out for help that can speed up the completion of projects. New research suggests that the company's advantage goes deeper depending on how many employees are participating robustly in these networks. Neville and Shel share the research and discusses what businesses need to do to tap into that benefit in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #367: Innovation Thrives When Employees Engage in Professional Networks appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Pundits are proclaiming social media dead (or dying), and they have data to back up their beliefs. If it's true, what does it mean -- for society, for networking, and for business? Neville and Shel examine the evidence and trends and discuss the implications in the monthly long-form episode for November. Also in this episode: ChatGPT pauses new signups and other news A look at ChatGPT's GPT Builder The state of news on social media Generative AI and journalism A high-profile executive's fake Twitter accounts In his Tech Report, Dan York talks about Twitter's woes, WhatsApp news, Automattic backing off Tumblr growth, and the Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year Continue Reading → The post FIR #366: DIY GPT appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

RyanAir has a reputation: For the lowest airfares in Europe, you'll get where you're going with the bare minimum of service. The airline's social media accounts -- notably TikTok -- have done a brilliant, irreverent job of setting expectations for anyone planning to fly on RyanAir, which the social media manager's skills were first-rate. When he left the company -- reportedly because of its cultural shortcomings -- he abided by the 90-day quiet period, then applied his social media skills to share his experience. His posts (not surprisingly) made headlines. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel break down what this might mean for RyanAir.Continue Reading → The post FIR #365: RyanAir’s Social Media Chief Doesn’t Leave Quietly appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Internal communicators have long known how important employees' immediate supervisors are to the communication process. Based on the results of a new study, communicators need to shift their focus. Managers still need to serve as a conduit of information in both directions, but there's an even more important role they play that communicators are best suited to help them learn and apply. Shel and Neville discuss the study and its implications for internal communications professionals in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #364: Managers’ Most Important Communication Role appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A review of the trove of articles about how brands have addressed the conflict in the Middle East suggests that there is no way to satisfy everybody, even for brands that opt to say nothing at all. Neville and Shel explore the peril of speaking out, even as expectations continue for companies and their CEOs to address societal issues. Also in this monthly long-form episode: The closure of Pebble (formerly T2) has implications for the entire fractured social media ecosystem A global PR body has ratified 10 principles for the ethical use of AI in PR and communications LinkedIn influencers are becoming a force to be reckoned with A poll from MIT explores key decision points for deploying AI in the enterprise Silicon Valley appears to have given up on news in social networks In his tech report, Dan York shares details about the flailing of Twitter, changes in Threads, WhatsApp channels, and Automattic's purchase of Texts.Continue Reading → The post FIR #363: Is the Israel-Hamas War a Communications No-Win Situation? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

T2 rebranded as Pebble because when tossed in water, pebbles create ripples (except in the song "Ripple," in which "there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow"). The microblogging social network created by former Twitter staffers never created enough ripples to sustain it. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel lament Pebble's passing, consider the reasons it is shutting down, and ponder what it means for the post-Twitter social media landscape.Continue Reading → The post FIR #362: Why Did Pebble Sink? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new study from Edelman polled hundreds of Fortune 500 Chief Communication Officers about the future of corporate communications. The results include some surprises, including the scope of the CCO's role and what they're spending their time on. The study also addresses the old canard about the communicator's quest for a "seat at the table." Neville and Shel dig into the report in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #361: Is There A Seat At The Table in Corporate Communication’s Future? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

At a school in southern England, a headmaster worked with an AI developer to create an AI "robot" named Abigail Bailey to serve as his "headteacher," giving him advice and helping with planning. He has another AI "robot" named Jamie Rainer serving as his head of AI after advertising for a human to handle the job. Can the same principles be transferred to the CEO of an organization? Find out in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #360: Your AI Chatbot Confidant appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

OpenAI is rolling out the ability to have a spoken conversation with ChatGPT. Meta is making it easy to converse with the likes of Tom Brady and Paris Hilton (who have lent their voices to the effort). An AI chatbot called PI was built to let you discuss personal matters. Companies are rolling out AI girlfriends. (That can't end well.) It's all part of what Casey Newton calls the "synthetic social network," and it's the topic of conversation between Neville and Shel in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #359: Your New AI BFF appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

EY (formerly Ernst & Young), one of the "big four" accounting firms, has launched EY.ai, which is (according to a press release) "a unifying platform that brings together human capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI) to help clients transform their businesses through confident and responsible adoption of AI." Separately, EY has introduced EYQ, an AI assistant for its 400,000 employees. Neville and Shel discuss the news -- and how likely it is that EY's competitors will follow -- in this short midweek FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #358: EY Goes AI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI) has been widely available publicly for less than a year, but the public relations industry has moved quickly to assess its potential and begin the process of implementation. How is it going so far? A brief from the PR Academy looks at the state of AGI in PR. Also in this monthly long-form episode: Acast has risen to the top of the business podcasting services heap Despite political pressure, marketers continue to focus on diversity Gen Z journalists are not like their predecessors. What are their values and priorities? Deepfakes have been a concern for years. Deepfake scams have finally arrived. Website owners are looking for ways to block AI web crawlers from vacuuming up their content. In his tech report, Dan York looks at Mastodon 4.2 and the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress.Continue Reading → The post FIR #357: A Status Report on AI and PR appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It's easy to believe that the internet has already demonstrated its disruptive capabilities by pointing to everything from the transformation of the audience to publishers and the rise of disinformation. However disruptive these changes are, they are mainly uses of technology to do things we were already doing -- just doing it more easily and efficiently. Real disruption -- the invention of entirely new processes and approaches -- could take years, decades, even centuries to manifest, according to Jeff Jarvis in his new book, "The Gutenberg Parentheses". But we are starting to see early examples, and TikTok is the platform on which they are appearing. We'll share these examples, and provide more insight into Jarvis's book, in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #356: The Long Arc of Network Disruption appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this short-form episode, we look at how hashtags have evolved over time and what’s next. Proposed by Chris Messina in 2007 for use on Twitter, hashtags were initially meant to categorize and connect conversations on social media platforms. However, in articles published on Medium in recent months, Messina explains his belief that hashtags have... Continue Reading → The post FIR #355: The Future for Hashtags appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The court of law is not the only place where reputations must be defended. Increasingly, it’s also in the court of public opinion. In response, British law firm Schillings takes on the PR industry by setting up its own agency for clients seeking a different way to manage their reputation. In this short midweek episode, Neville solo (Shel is away) discusses what it means for the PR industry and considers the challenges and opportunities for both professions.Continue Reading → The post FIR #354: Law and PR Combine to Protect Reputations appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Generative Artificial Intelligence has a lot to offer bloggers, from easier research to better SEO. It can also let people crank out torrents of posts. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel examine the benefits and risks AI presents to bloggers and whether blogs are more or less important in the AI era.Continue Reading → The post FIR #353: Blogging in the AI Era appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is poised to become a wild card in upcoming elections, most notably the 2024 presidential election in the U.S. Its primary use will be the creation of disinformation. But can voters be swayed by this flood of new content that (let's face it) joins the flood of disinformation people have been creating without AI? Neville and Shel look at multiple sides of the issue in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #352: AI and Elections — Should We Panic? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Can there be too many podcasts? That's just one question a panel of podcast luminaries answered for The Hollywood Reporter. Neville and Shel highlight key comments and discuss the direction podcasting is taking and whether it remains relevant for organizational communicators in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #351: No Such Thing as Peak Podcast appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The spectacular success of the Barbie movie has led Mattel to plan more than a dozen movies based on its brands, including Hot Wheels, Barney, Polly Pocket, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, and American Girl -- not to mention a full-blown theme park (with a Barbie Beach, Hot Wheels rides, and a massive He-Man and the Masters of the Universe laser tag arena. Mattel's competitors are also making plans for movie versions of its products. Movies based on toys are nothing new (we've seen multiple Transformers movies, GI Joe movies, and a He-Man flick). But Barbie raised the bar. Will the inevitable flood of toy-branded movies rise to that level or just be the schlock we've come to expect? Neville and Shel dissect the possibilities in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #350: Success Breeds Imitation appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

"Pity Marketing" is having a moment. Multiple reports have surfaced of people sharing tales of woe, mostly on the X (formerly Twitter) social network, leading many who see the posts to pull out their wallets. Could the same technique work for bigger brands? Also in the August long-form episode of "For Immediate Release": The Associated Press has published its AI guidelines for journalists Big advertisers are rushing to take advantage of AI Gartner has pegged AI at the peak of inflated expectations Motion identities are now a requirement for brands Brands are starting to sound alike on social media In his Tech Report, Dan York reports on Twitch's plans to roll out blocking, new features on Threads, developments with Mastodon, a new fediverse report, and scientists scaling back their use of X (formerly Twitter).Continue Reading → The post FIR #349: Marketing’s Pity Party appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Prosecraft was a useful site for wanna-be fiction writers. It violated no copyright rules and did nothing that should have been upsetting to authors whose works were included in the site's library. For several years, nobody gave it a second thought. But as AI has raised worries among creatives, some authors jerked their knees and demanded their works be removed. The loss of Prosecraft is bad enough. The chilling effect could be worse. Neville and Shel discuss the potential consequences of AI panic in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #348: The Consequences of AI Panic appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made headlines when they bought the Wrexham Association Football Club. Since then they have poured cash into the team and applied business savvy to build a global fan base for the obscure Welsh club. Among the tactics employed was a digital media strategy focused on entertaining storytelling centered on team members and coaches. Can that approach work for other sports teams or businesses that don't have the star power of a Ryan Reynolds to draw attention? Neville and Shel discuss the story in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #347: Digital Media, Star Power, and Wrexham appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In 1995, MIT Media Lab Director Nicholas Negroponte predicted "The Daily Me," a digital newspaper that would feature articles that aligned with the interests of each individual reader, leaving out news a well-rounded person might need to know. Now, courtesy of AI, a company is planning to develop a daily 30-minute newscast with AI-generated anchors sharing coverage of stories based on each viewer's interests. The concept can be useful where audience segmentation is important but also raises some serious questions, which Neville and Shel ponder in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #346: The Daily Me, Video Version appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

AI rewrote 50 of the best-known brand slogans, and survey respondents preferred the AI version 48 percent of the time -- even Apple's "Think Different" slogan fell to the AI alternative. Also in this AI-heavy monthly long-form episode: Newsrooms are adopting standards for using AI Google is pitching an AI news-writing tool to major media outlets How should newsrooms be thinking about AI? A study of more than 5,000 ChatGPT conversations reveals how people are using the chatbot Maybe AI isn't coming for everyone's job after all An NFT platform has launched a limited-edition print magazine What's behind Twitter's poop emoji PR? In his tech report, Dan York introduces himself to Threads, Mastodon analytics are now available, Vox is ending its CMS, a look at Llam2, worries about AI cluttering the web with useless content, and a new podcast to try. Continue Reading → The post FIR #344: Sloganeering with AI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new activist tactic is targeting individual businesses, concentrating all of the movement's energy and resources on forcing that one business to bend to the group's will. These instances are usually based on business practices that reflect the company's values, such as support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. How the business responds has a direct impact on the experiences of employees who interact with customers on a day-to-day basis, especially in retail and other customer-facing sectors. How communicators can help both the company and employees weather these storms is the focus of this short midweek FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #343: Employees Caught in Activism’s Crossfire appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Meta's Threads, a new micro-blogging platform, is now available to anyone with an Instagram account, and there has been no shortage of people willing to give it a try. Only about two weeks old, Threads is already the subject of speculation about its future. In the meantime, brands and journalists are jumping onto the platform. Should your company or brand be there, too? Neville and Shel share their thoughts in this short midweek "For Immediate Release" episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #342: Pulling at Threads’ Seams appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In the world of influencers, brands pay for influencers to say what the brands want them to say. In the case of Shein, what they wanted them to say appears to be at odds with the facts. In this case, the blowback targeted the influencers more than the brand, calling attention to the gloss the company wanted to put on its tarnished reputation. Will every follower of an influencer know every time they're hearing a manipulated message? We explore the Shein story and its implications in this short mid-week episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #341: Influencers Amuck appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

All the signs are there, according to observers. As one tech publication put it, "Google is trying to kill the 10 blue links. Twitter is being abandoned to bots and blue ticks. There’s the junkification of Amazon and the enshittification of TikTok. Layoffs are gutting online media. A job posting looking for an 'AI editor' expects 'output of 200 to 250 articles per week.' ChatGPT is being used to generate whole spam sites. Etsy is flooded with 'AI-generated junk.' Chatbots cite one another in a misinformation ouroboros. LinkedIn is using AI to stimulate tired users. Snapchat and Instagram hope bots will talk to you when your friends don’t. Redditors are staging blackouts. Stack Overflow mods are on strike. The Internet Archive is fighting off data scrapers, and 'AI is tearing Wikipedia apart.'" Is the worst-case scenario inevitable? Neville and Shel explore the possibilities in this short mid-week episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #340: Will AI Destroy the Web? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The hype around the metaverse rises and falls, but Second Life is 20 years old and continues to draw users and make money. Neville and Shel explore the reasons Second Life enjoys its ongoing modest success in the June monthly long-form episode of "For Immediate Release." Also in this episode: The state of digital news raises concerns for the public's news literacy, how companies can get their news into the hands of stakeholders, and what "news" means to people today. The political assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is producing polarization among employees and, in some companies, questionable decisions by leaders. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have an impact on every department in an organization. That makes it a key focus area for Chief People Officers. The merger of the PGA and the LIV golf tour caught many players by surprise. They should have been a top priority. The metaverse, contrary to popular opinion,  is not dying while AI rises. In fact, AI is breathing new life into the metaverse. In his Tech Report, Dan York looks at the Jetpack AI Assistant for WordPress users, why thousands of subreddits are going dark on Reddit, and why we should pay attention to Canada's C-18 Online News Act. Continue Reading → The post FIR #339: Still Virtual After All These Years appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Public relations, both in academia and in practical application, has always been seen as a business practice. A new study produced by researchers from the Missouri School of Journalism and Penn State argues that community activism employs PR strategies and tactics. By recognizing community activism as a form of public relations, traditional PR professionals can incorporate some of the things it does better, including listening and taking a long view. Neville and Shel dive into the research in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #338: Adding Activism to PR appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new survey finds that 90 percent of Americans don't trust influencers. What does this mean for the multi-million influencer industry? And where can brands turn now, since the old celebrity approach also doesn't carry much weight with consumers? Neville and Shel fill you in during this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #337: Is It All Over for Influencers? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Multiple studies confirm that Americans (like most of the rest of the world) have lost their trust in the media. But people get their news and information from somewhere -- or, as a Gallup/Knight Foundation study finds -- someone. "Public individuals" attract followers who turn to them for news and information based on a number of qualities, ranging from likability to subject matter expertise. Many of these public individuals host shows on mainstream media outlets. What does this mean for PR professionals looking for the right outlet to pitch? Neville and Shel break down the study in this short midweek FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #336: Trust, Likability, and Confirmation Bias appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

BBC Verify is the venerable broadcaster's latest effort to combat disinformation. With a staff of 60 journalists, Verify will provide details about the BBC's own reporting and debunk disinformation it finds online (as it has already done with a photo purportedly of a Pentagon bombing that was, in fact, AI-generated). Are there lessons in the BBC's approach that communicators can apply to their companies' online activities? And will other media outlets follow suit, even as they slash budgets and newsrooms?Continue Reading → The post FIR #335: BBC Fires a Shot in the Disinformation War appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

"Disclosure and transparency are the currency of the internet," wrote journalist and author Evan Osnos. That has proven to be true time and again. It undoubtedly will be true of using generative AI in marketing and communication. But will it be true every time we use AI? Even when we're just using it as a tool, like a calculator? The challenge of establishing guidelines for disclosing the use of AI is the subject of this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #333: When to Disclose That You’ve Used AI appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The volunteer editors responsible for Wikipedia content are divided over the role ChatGPT and other generative AI writing tools can or should play in the creation of articles for the online encyclopedia. Their struggle is most likely being repeated in businesses around the globe.Continue Reading → The post FIR #332: Wikipedia Editors in Tug-of-War Over AI-Authored Articles appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The recent releases of Agent-GPT, AutoGPT, and BabyGPT have taken ChatGPT to a new level. Rather than simply responding to user prompts, these tools identify a series of tasks that must be completed to achieve a goal and then completes them autonomously. It's still early days, but the potential is huge. So is the growing risk of bad actors using these tools for nefarious purposes. We discuss these recent developments in this short mid-week episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #331: AI Completes Tasks and Raises Fears appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

If your generative AI prompts aren't producing exactly what you want, there's help -- for a fee. You can buy pre-written prompts from prompt marketplaces like PromptBase and Prompt Attack or hire a prompt engineer through services like Fiverr. We dig into this newly-emergent cottage industry in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #330: Help Wanted. Prompt Engineer. appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Imagine posting to your favorite social network, the one you want your brand to be associated with, and having it appear for all of your followers in the social networks of their choice. It could be possible if the ActivityPub standard continues to spread the way it has been lately. And that could be an important evolution given the meltdown that Twitter is undergoing. Those are just two of the stories in the April long-form edition of the "For Immediate Release" podcast. Also in this episode... The "have a go" era of podcasting could be coming to an end, depending on how you interpret the data LinkedIn is going through some changes that not everyone likes A coalition of 500-plus ad agencies is taking a stand against fossil fuels A song reportedly produced using AI imitated the voices of some A-list artists, and the music industry isn't happy Dan York reports on the demise of Spotify Live, some Twitter news, Wikipedia's one-minute video, and more Continue Reading → The post FIR #329: Post Once, Socialize Everywhere appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Traditional wallets are stuffed full of cash, credit cards, debit cards, and identification. Crypto wallets have only held public and private keys needed to trade cryptocurrencies. Users are increasingly filling their crypto wallets with NFTs and other digital assets. It won't be long before digital wallets hold crypto, NFTs, digital assets, and your credit cards and identity verification. The only physical wallets you'll see will be in museums. Why communicators and their clients/employers should care is the subject of this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #328: What’s In Your Crypto Wallet? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

During the pandemic-related lockdown, with everyone but essential workers working from home, companies had little choice but to inform employees that their employment was being terminated using Zoom, Teams, or other digital channels. Now that people are back in the office, full-time or under a hybrid model, many companies have retained the practice. Some have asked all employees -- even those working in the office -- to stay home during a layoff so those who are being terminated can get the news remotely. In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel discuss whether this approach is here for good and, if it is, whether there are implications for companies engaging in the practice.Continue Reading → The post FIR #327: Laid Off In The Comfort Of Your Own Home appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Can the metaverse survive? Is this the Metaverse winter? Is the metaverse dead? Headlines like these appear across media as attention -- and investment dollars -- shift from the metaverse to Artificial Intelligence. Is the metaverse really destined for the trash heap of tech history? Neville and Shel take issue with all the doom and gloom in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #326: The (Metaverse) Winter of Our Discontent appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Coca-Cola is one of the first companies to demonstrate a big commitment to generative AI, launching a contest that requires contestants to use both of OpenAI's public tools: ChatGPT and DALL-E 2. Neville and Shel discuss the contest and some other brand experiments with generative AI tools in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #325: Making AI-Generated Brand Magic appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Some PR pros think you should withhold original research, infographics, and other original content from a pitch to a journalist. Others think you can share it, but only under some circumstances. Still others think it best to give reporters what you have. Neville and Shel explore the various recommendations in this short, mid-week episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #324: Pitching Original Content appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

All generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) works fundamentally the same: AI neural networks learn from large training sets, gleaning patterns from the contents of those training sets in order to create original content based on their understanding of those patterns. When the companies behind those AI tools use content available on the web for training, do they need to ask permission from the content creators? You and I don't. We can look at as much as we like and learn as much as we can. Is it the same for AI training sets or is it something else altogether, more akin to Napster using existing music without compensating the artists? Neville and Shel are on opposite sides of the debate. Also in this episode: The University of Iowa's school of business has introduced a program to teach students how to tell stories. Storytelling is a crucial business skill that few businesses value. Communicators can help change that. A BBC football analyst -- a contractor, not an employee -- made some partisan remarks on a social network and was punished for violating standards by which employees are required to abide. It reopened a long-dormant discussion about social media policies. Did Silicon Valley Bank communicate too little, contributing to its failure? Or did it communicate too much? Is it possible the bank did both? ChatGPT and Midjourney have both been upgraded and the updates are substantial. Midjourney images are scarily photo-realistic and ChatGPT can now create a web page -- Javascript included -- based on a sketch of a wireframe. And that just scratches the surface of these updates. Microsoft has introduced Co-Pilot, the tool that will let users of its software tap into the power of Artificial Intelligence. Dan York shares news from WordPress, WhatsApp, the world of ChatBots, and more in his Tech Report.Continue Reading → The post FIR #323: Outright Theft Or Fair Use? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Network outages. Fleeing advertisers. Disaffected staff. News reports of abusive behavior. Rents in arrears. And news feeds are increasingly swamped with posts from trolls and bots. Things are not looking good for the bird site. But if it fails, what's the alternative? The fediverse is questionable. LinkedIn is solid, but its focus is on business. Jack Dorsey's Bluesky is coming, but it's federated, too.  Is there anything out there that can serve the function Twitter does? Neville and Shel examine the situation and explore the alternatives in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #322: If Not Twitter, Then Where? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In the laundry list of mistakes and missteps from Norfolk Southern in the wake of the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, what stands out the most is that the company seems to be making it all about them and not the people suffering the fallout of the crisis. (At a town hall meeting, a company representative kept repeating how awful everyone at Norfolk Southern felt about the incident. Nobody in East Palestine cares how anybody at Norfolk Southern feels.) You have to wonder if they're getting and ignoring good crisis counsel, if the counsel they're getting is bad, or if they're not getting any professional input at all.Continue Reading → The post FIR #321: Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Crisis Comms appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Artificial Intelligence is already embedded in daily life, from product recommendations based on past purchases to playlist suggestions. If you use a smartwatch or health-monitoring wearable, you're using AI. The leap demonstrated by recently released generated AI apps suggests that future developments are going to come at an accelerated pace. We've also seen amazing robotic developments. (Have you watched a recent Boston Dynamics video or checked out Loona, the robotic pet that was the hit of CES in January?) Mix the two, bake for a decade, and imagine what you'll get.Continue Reading → The post FIR #320: The Chorebots of 2033 appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A lot of company leaders believe a return to the office is a prerequisite to raising productivity and employee engagement metrics. A look at the data seems to reveal exactly the opposite: Productivity rose near the start of the pandemic and plummeted when companies began demanding employees come back to the office. Engagement numbers also fell well after the start of the pandemic in 2020, according to the premier engagement researcher. The world of work has changed, whether senior leaders understand that or not, which puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of in-house communicators.Continue Reading → The post FIR #319: Return to Work Mandates Damage Engagement and Productivity appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Mainstream and tech media alike have filled their pages with headlines about disastrous demos, worrisome uses, fleeing users, and evaporating investments. Is it all true? Or is it a combination of clickbait and a failure to understand what's really happening? In the February long-form episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast, Neville and Shel look at generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) developments, mostly having to do with ChatGPT and Microsoft's integration of it into limited-release versions of Bing and Edge. Also in this episode: With all the AI coverage and some media still paying attention to the Metaverse, reporting on NFTs and other aspects of Web3 seem to have fallen off the radar, but there was a big Web3 development when the world's largest pharmaceutical company invested big money in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that was launched to circumvent big pharmaceutical companies. To read the coverage, you would think that all those people who signed up for Mastodon when Twitter became a less desirable platform are fleeing faster than high school students when the bell rings after the last class before summer vacation. But are they really? Most of the metaverse reporting that suggests investment is drying up and business interest has cratered is based on a false premise. There's plenty of movement and investment in the metaverse, assuming you understand that it's a network, not a place. New research finds that a fast-growing number of podcast fans would rather watch a podcast than just listen to one. In his tech report, Dan York also looks at third-party Mastodon apps, how Roblox plans to use generative AI, the opening of a new Federal Trade Commission Office of Technology to fight "AI snake oil," and the upcoming Supreme Court hearing that could have a profound impact on communicators and our ability to publish information online. Continue Reading → The post FIR #318: AI, Mastodon, the Metaverse — Headlines vs. Reality appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Influencer marketing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with Instagrammers and TikTokers with large followings pitching products in exchange for cash and other considerations. In response, some on Instagram and TikTok have taken to slamming those very same products -- for free. It's as trend that's on the rise.Continue Reading → The post FIR #317: The Rise of the De-Influencer appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Before Twitter, before Facebook, there were blogs. People who shared an interest in the blog's theme congregated there and had conversations. The general tone was positive, even when people disagreed. As the social media space deteriorates and Twitter's future is in doubt, storyteller and freelancer Monique Judge suggests a return to blogging as the primary means of online social engagement. Is such a pivot possible? Neville and Shel share their thoughts in this short midweek episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #316: Back to Blogging appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In a lot of companies, the PR and communications functions live under Marketing. For a variety of reasons, that is not the best approach. Marketing, after all, has a distinct role to play in short-to-mid-term lead generation and other outcomes based mostly on paid outreach. PR, on the other hand, is all about earned media designed to build reputation and promote thought leadership. Someone needs to sit at a senior level to ensure these efforts and other communication functions, like advertising, investor relations, and community relations, are coordinated and consistent. Call that person the Chief Communications Officer. Is it time every company anoints one? Neville and Shel explore the issue in this short midweek FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #315: Does Every Company Need A CCO? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Are written and spoken recommendations received equally? Contrary to what may seem logical, they are not, according to new research. In this short midweek FIR episode, Shel and Neville explore what the study's findings could mean for how marketers and communicators wield influence over the decisions people make.Continue Reading → The post FIR #314: Show Or Tell? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

There's a perception that people in their 20's, raised with digital technology and accustomed to more effective messaging technologies, simply don't use email. Could that spell the beginning of the end of this clunky, 50-plus-year-old business tool? Neville and Shel consider the possibility in this short, midweek FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #313: Will Gen Z Finally Kill Email? appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Everything old is new again, the saying goes. Despite touting the idea of a press release as a destination being a new idea, it actually dates back about 15 years -- and retains all of its value. Neville and Shel explore the idea of defeating paywalls with destination press releases in this monthly long-form episode of "For Immediate Release." Also in this episode: Follow-ups to stories about Artificial Intelligence (AI) interns and facial recognition used for nefarious purposes. The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer -- and whether Edelman can claim to be trust experts A roundup of news and commentary about ChatGPT A decline in Mastodon users Dan York's Tech Report, which looks at some Twitter changes, good news for Mastodon users, a Mastodon instance for Medium users, Getty's lawsuit targeting the generative AI image tool Stable Diffusion, Wikipedia's new look-and-feel, and WordPress's upcoming 20th birthday. Continue Reading → The post FIR #312: The Social Media Press Release Redux appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Library TikTok is growing -- organically. Librarians are meeting teenagers where they are, on TikTok, with videos that attract their attention and lead to library visits and more reading. Can this unorganized, grass-roots approach translate to marketing and communications? Is it looking at the idea of "influence" through a different lens? Neville and Shel explore the idea in this short mid-week episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #311: What Communicators Can Learn From Librarians appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Working from home has become more commonplace in the wake of the pandemic, with executives who once believed productivity would plummet now reconciled to the fact that remote work, for the most part, has little impact on productivity (unless, as is the case in some organizations, it actually boosts employee outputs). And a lot of employees are thrilled to be working from home. That doesn't mean that things aren't getting a little stale. A Harvard Business Review article suggests remote workers might want to consider making some changes to their routines. The article even inspired Neville to take action he has been considering for a while. It's all part of this short mid-week FIR episode.Continue Reading → The post FIR #310: Shake Up Your Work-From-Home Routine appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this short midweek episode, Neville and Shel tackle a question from listener Kris Hansen about developing a metrics dashboard for her organization's leadership.Continue Reading → The post FIR #309: Measuring Stuff That Didn’t Happen appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The virtual worker industry is booming in China. For about $14,000 a year -- 80 percent less than it cost just a year earlier -- you can get a three-dimensional virtual person to handle everything from tours to customer support. With expectations that the industry will grow by 50 percent annually for the next three years, the arrival of virtual persons in the West is inevitable. Neville and Shel dive into the industry in this short midweek episode of "For Immediate Release."Continue Reading → The post FIR #308: Here Come Virtual Workers appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Keurig Dr. Pepper has stirred up a controversy by issuing an RFP that included payment terms of 360 days. While some big PR and advertising agencies may be able to wait a year to be paid for their work, it's most likely a non-starter for small and minority-owned agencies. (If most big clients turned to one-year payment terms, even the big agencies might have difficulty accommodating the requirement.) The agency world has united in its condemnation of the move, and Keurig Doctor Pepper's response is tepid, to say the least. Neville and Shel discuss the situation in this short midweek episode of "For Immediate Release."Continue Reading → The post FIR #307: We’ll Pay You…In A Year appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

It's not unlikely that you have been mispronouncing some well-known company and brand names like IKEA, Hyundai, Porsche, Bayer, and Adidas. Some brands use common mispronunciations as the foundation for a marketing campaign, as Hyundai has undertaken in the UK.  Neville and Shel explore some of these campaigns and examine the broader issue of hard-to-pronounce brand names in this short midweek episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast.Continue Reading → The post FIR #306: Brand Name Pronunciation As A Marketing Ploy appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A petulant venue owner is using facial recognition software to keep people with whom he has issues from entering his spaces -- including a mom with a Girl Scout troop. Also in this monthly long-form episode of the "For Immediate Release" podcast, Neville and Shel discuss the value of virtual goods and whether brands should start taking them seriously; business schools are exploring the potential for teaching in the metaverse -- especially classes about digital technology; it hasn't been a great year for metaverse activations, but at least brands are learning; it has been a year since Lush closed its Instagram and Facebook accounts, which means it's time to see how that decision turned out; and the better ChatGPT (the AI text-generating chatbot) gets, the more worried some people get about its impact on truth; and Dan York shares a year-end Tech Report with a range of updates including using WordPress for newsletters, WordPress's State of the Word 2022, and Tumblr Live.Continue Reading → The post FIR #305: We See You And You Can’t Come In appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Social media consultant Arik Hanson wrote recently in a LinkedIn article that companies should consider devoting some of their LinkedIn activities -- 20 percent is the volume he suggests -- to matters of interest to employees. That's because data shows that 30 percent of a brand page's engagement comes from the company's employees. In this short mid-week episode of "For Immediate Release," Neville and Shel discuss the opportunity for communicators to reach employees on LinkedIn, along with the challenges and possible pitfalls.Continue Reading → The post FIR #304: Reaching Employees Through Social Media appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

One list includes 50 potential Twitter replacements -- none of which will offer every one of Twitter's features and none of which includes everyone you're currently following on the bird site. How do you decide where to go when you conclude that maintaining your current Twitter activity is no longer feasible? Neville and Shel sort it out -- with a focus on Mastodon -- in this short mid-week episode of "For Immediate Release."Continue Reading → The post FIR #303: The Quest for a Twitter Alternative appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.